The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has served a show-cause notice on the Larsen & Toubro (L&T)–Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) joint venture over the alleged use of excavated soil from private construction sites for backfilling work on Mumbai’s Coastal Road (South) project without the required transport permissions.
The civic body has instructed the contractor to stop using material from unauthorised sources until the necessary departmental clearance is obtained. The joint venture has been given 72 hours to explain why the disputed soil should not be removed at its own expense and why further action should not be taken.
Issued on October 5, the notice concerns the contractor’s work under Packages B, C and D of the coastal road project.
Inspection raises concerns over soil sourcing
The action followed an inspection by the BMC’s Solid Waste Management department on October 1 along the stretch between Haji Ali and PDP Garden. Officials examined backfilling activities, vehicle records and transportation challans to establish the origin of the material.
According to the civic body, the soil was allegedly brought from private building sites across Mumbai without the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) or other permissions from the corporation or competent authorities.
Documents sought from the contractor
The BMC has described the alleged practice as a breach of the project’s contractual terms and technical requirements. Under the tender conditions, filling material must come from authorised quarries or other approved sources supported by valid documentation.
The contractor has been asked to provide details of the soil’s origin, transport permissions, royalty challans, geotechnical test reports and records showing the quantity delivered and approved sources.
The notice also cites the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules of 2016 and 2025, Bombay High Court directions on unauthorised earth and debris transportation, and relevant contractual provisions.
The BMC has warned that an inadequate response or failure to reply within 72 hours could trigger further action without another notice. The contractor may also have to remove or reject the disputed material at its own cost.
Stricter monitoring of construction waste
The move comes amid increased civic oversight of construction and demolition waste. The BMC launched the Mumbai Debris Control and Tracking System (MDCTS) portal on August 24 to monitor waste from its source to authorised disposal destinations.
Since October 12, the civic body has also imposed a Rs 25,000 penalty per violation on vehicles transporting construction or excavation waste without an authorised, active tracking system. Officials have been directed to act against developers and transporters operating without the necessary permissions.
Source: Mumbai Live
